What makes for a great parade?

Question

Our business marched in the local St. Patrick's Day parade yesterday (the second largest in the Southeast states), and in the newspaper today, a transplant from Ohio mentioned the parade was a disappointing bore full of "kids and boats".

Maybe my standards are lower, because I sorta thought that's what a parade was.... Anyway, what would make you really say WOW at a parade?

Answer 1

The keys to a successful Parade are Planning, Placement and Punctuation. Always begin your parade with the local Color Guard, backed by a good marching band. Alternate entries that can move at a pace that flows ( Always keep the pace...NO GAPS ) and still be able to perform or show off a float. About 6 entries behind the #1 Band you can install a musical entry to keep the musical interest going. At most parades there is a Judges Stand, where the entries are Judged for various things , like best float, best band, best youth entry and so on. When each entry stops or slows in front of that Judges Stand.......That is when the entire parade needs to show the crowd what they have!, everyone should stop or slow, in unisent, then proceed as the line moves along. Floats play a big part in controlling the traffic, as they can stop to throw candy or animate the float while the parade is stopped. ( Candy should only be thrown from a stationary Float so children aren't tempted to rush toward a moving vehicle.) The best Parades have a little of anything you can think of....Marching bands, Mounted entries (Horses), Soldiers, Kids!, Senior citizens, Politicians, Native Americans, Boy and Girl scouts..you name it!, it can be in a parade. Putting a Parade together properly and running it smoothly will "WOW" most everyone, however some people are tougher than others to please.

Answer 2

I grew up in the mid-west where there were great parades. Colorful floats, bands playing lively music, people dressed up (Uncle Sam on stilts, clowns - which I hate, anything related to the holiday) lots of candy throwing, fire trucks spraying water in the summer, horses, Shriners in their mini cars, and lots of flags.

I went back a few years ago for the 4th of July parade and was greatly disappointed. It was mostly farming equipment and politicians in convertables. Still candy, but candy didn't make it a parade.

Then I went to one in a local town here and it was kids handing out papers, a few horses and lots of floats with half dressed boy-men saying yeah for my state we'll win the rodeo. Also disappointing. If I go again, and I hope to, I plan on being in the parade dressed as something patrioric with my little boy throwing candy or balloons or ____? Maybe people can learn what a parade is suppose to be? FUN!

Answer 3

You have to make it colorful and fun. Big floats and through candy. Have people dress up as lepercons or bunnys [easter]. Don't just have kids running around though cuz i also seem that boring. Have a bunch of companies and each has to make a float. That would be very cool.

Best of Luck <3